Assessment of legal framework and ethics of early childhood centres in Osun State

Abstract

The study assessed the level of awareness of Early Childhood Education (ECE) personnel of the legal framework of the Child Right Act (2003) in Osun State. It also explored the perception of ECE personnel towards the legal framework of the Child Right Act (2003) in Osun State; and investigated the ethics put in place by school owners to protect the legal rights of Child Right Act (2003) at the early childhood centres in the study area. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A descriptive survey research design was used to access and predict the views, reactions or standings of a large number of people on a limited topic like the legal framework and ethics of early childhood education centres in Osun State. The sample consisted of two hundred and sixty (260) teachers out of one thousand nine hundred and eighty-four (1,984) qualified teachers in early childhood education centres in Osun State. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select the sample for the study. Four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were used for the study. One LGA was selected in each of the three senatorial districts in the state using simple random sampling technique. The fourth LGA was selected using random sampling technique. In each LGA, thirteen centres were selected using simple random sampling technique. In each centre, five personnel were selected using simple random sampling technique totaling two hundred and sixty (260) personnel that constituted the sample for the study. One self-designed research instrument tagged ‘’Assessment of Legal Framework and Ethics of Early Childhood Centers Questionnaire’’ (ALFEECCQ) was used to collect data for the study. The data collected were analysed using frequency count and simple percentage through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the study showed that the level of awareness of personnel on the legal framework that is hinged on the Child Rights Act (2003) in ECE centres in Osun State is high with statistical value of 60.8%.